Good morning neighbors, Please find important help and resources below. There are free food programs around the city and resources for people in need. Please also forward this email to anyone you know that may need help. Stay safe and take care of each other. Emily Emily Holben Walker President of the Board University Hills Neighborhood Association
FREE Food Today! The YMCA is giving out FREE BAGS OF HEALTHY FOOD to the community all week. They will be distributing from the Schlessman campus today, Wednesday, March 25, 2-6 PM. ANYONE who needs healthy food for themselves, neighbors, family, or friends can come to safely grab a bag of food. The Schlessman YMCA is located at 3901 East Yale Avenue, 80210.
FREE Food Programs Around the City Denver Public Schools is providing take-home breakfast (8 AM – 9 AM) and lunch (12 NOON – 1 PM.), Monday-Friday, to students and their families at locations across the city, through April 17. Select Denver recreation centers will serve dinner to children 18 years old and younger, weekdays, 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM, through April 17. In addition, Food For Thought Denver will provide Powersacks at all 12 DPS breakfast and lunch locations, every Friday until circumstances change. Each Powersack will contain enough non-perishable food for a family of four for two days. These sacks are available for anyone in need, not just for DPS students. For a list of locations for the DPS FREE FOOD program, visit: https://www.dpsk12.org/coronavirus/#food For ADDITIONAL FOOD NEEDS, visit: www.foodbankrockies.org/emergency-assistance To assist DPS to continue to be able to make food security a high priority, please consider donating to the DPS Foundation Food Security Fund: https://dpsfoundation.org/foodsecurityfund/
Childcare Resources for First Responders and Essential Workers The Denver YMCA is staying open to support first responders and essential workers with child care needs. YMCA has five sites across the metro area to help Denver families in need, including the Schlessman campus (3901 E Yale Ave). YMCA has extended hours and can take children for daily drop-in care. The Schlessman site can take kids as young as 6 weeks old. Details and registration can be found here: https://www.denverymca.org/coronavirus-updates.
Stagger Unemployment Claims to Get Through
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment is asking people to stagger their unemployment claims as the department is overwhelmed during the coronavirus pandemic. The online unemployment platform has not been able to handle the spike in claims and has been shutting down. Because of the high volume of claims, the department is asking you to please stagger claims—this will help you successfully submit your unemployment claim. If you need to file an unemployment claim:
· If your last name begins with the letter A - M, file a claim on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or after 12 noon on Saturday.
· If your last name begins with the letter N - Z, file a claim on Monday, Wednesday, Friday or before 12 noon on Saturday.
Colorado Department of Labor and Employment Unemployment: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdle/unemployment
Support Services If you need help with the items below, please visit Denvergov.org.
Business Assistance
Food, Housing, Rental, and Utilities
Health & Wellness
Job Assistance
Youth Support
Transit
Art to Lift Spirits!
Neighbors and children can go on walks, but can no longer play, meet with friends, or go to playgrounds. Some of us are putting colorful art in our windows for kids and neighbors to spot—like a giant neighborhood-wide scavenger hunt! There are two art games happening:
I Spy a Rainbow Game: From U-Hills, to the United Kingdom, to Spain and beyond, people are hanging colorful rainbows in their windows across the globe! Make a colorful rainbow and hang it in your window for everyone to see!
Art Scavenger Hunt: A fellow U-Hills neighbor began a weekly scavenger hunt! Each week, there will be a new art topic. This week’s art topic is FRUIT. Next week’s art topic is ZOO ANIMALS. For young and old alike, this is a fun easy craft that can help lift spirits. To keep up with the changing art topics each week, please tune in on Nextdoor.com.
Ways You Can Help
Volunteer with Mile High United Way
There are a number of immediate and long-term needs for volunteers in a variety of roles. Residents who are young, healthy and showing NO signs or symptoms of the coronavirus, can assist providers as volunteers to help prepare meals, distribute supplies, and help keep shelter facilities clean and safe for guests and workers. Learn more: UnitedWayDenver.org
Volunteer with A Little Help
A Little Help is a local nonprofit connecting neighbors and helping our older adults thrive. They are looking for people who need to be served, and people who can serve. All volunteers receive background checks.
Volunteers are needed for:
Grocery shopping and delivery
Prescription pick-up and delivery
Help with yard work or snow shoveling
"Care calls": Phone calls to older adults who are staying home and might not have anyone to talk to. Phone calls help provide a safety and wellness check and offer a form of safe social engagement.
Contact us for questions and help spread the word! www.alittlehelp.org 720-242-9032
Understand the coronavirus spread rate All of us are hearing about the importance of “flattening the curve” and “social distancing”. None of the media coverage or articles I’ve read have helped me understand more than this 5-10 minute read. Jason Warner, founder and CEO of SaaS, and previous executive at both Starbucks and Google, puts the coronavirus and its spread into easy-to-understand terms. Please take 5-10 minutes to read. https://coronadotimes.com/news/2020/03/18/the-sober-math-everyone-must-understand-about-the-pandemic/
One-Hour a Day Screen Free Challenge The coronavirus has many around the world feeling unsure, stressed, and even scared. You are not alone. In an age when information is at our fingertips, it’s too easy to constantly see news and updates about the virus, the economic spiral, and death. It can be overwhelming. Every time we turn on the TV, get on the computer, and look at our phone, we are bombarded with more news and information. This can be overwhelming and increase feelings of despair and heighten stress. Please consider carving out just ONE HOUR A DAY TO LIVE SCREEN FREE. You can do it and you will feel better. Schedule just one hour to take yourself away from it all. Perhaps go outside, read a book, draw a picture, write a letter to someone you love, begin a journal, tend to some household chores, start home project, try a new recipe, or simply sit quietly and do nothing. If you absolutely cannot break away from your phone, here’s the deal… You may only use your phone during this particular hour of the day as a phone. Yes! That’s right… you may use your phone to actually call someone and speak to them and hear their voice. You know, you remember… what the phone was originally created to do. :-) Taking time away for just one hour a day will help make the stress more manageable. You will feel better. Remember, we’re all in this together. Take care of yourself and support each other.
A Smile and Nod Social distancing can feel isolating and lonely. And, even when we’re out and about among other people, the obligation to keep 6ft apart and reduce viral spread can create awkwardness during social interactions. Remember, humans are social animals. Our species has been successful on this earth because we are social animals. When we see each other, whether it’s on a walk or at the grocery, make eye contact, give a nod, give a smile, maybe a wave. We need each other. These moments of brief interaction will help you feel connected and make a positive difference in the way you feel and the way someone else feels.
